Burglar-alarm



(No Model.)

H. T; WILSON BURGLAR ALARM.

No. 459,984. Patented Sept. 22, 1891.

.B ,B B

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

HOMER T. WILSON, OF I'IARRODSBURG, KENTUCKY.

BURGLAR-ALARM.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 459,984, dated September 22, 1891.

Application filed February 3, 1891. Serial No. 380,065- (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, HOMER T. \VILSON, a citizen of the United States, residing at Harrodsburg, in the county of Mercer and State of Kentucky, have invented a new and useful Burglar-Alarm, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to lmrglar-alarms, and has for its object to provide a device of this class which will be simple in construction, easily applied to buildings, and very efficient for the purpose designed. I attain this object and such'others as fairly fall within the scope of the invention by means of the mechanism illustrated in the accompanying drawings, the peculiar construction, combination, and arrangement of which will be fully described hereinafter, and the specific points of novelty particularly pointed out in the claims.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a plan view of my invention applied to the fioor of a building. Fig. 2 is a sectional view taken on the line an 00 of Fig. 1, showing the mat or carpet in position upon the device. Fig. 3 is asectional View on the line y y of Fig. 1. Fig. et is a detail perspective view of the bracket.

Similar letters of reference designate corresponding parts in the several views of the drawings, referring to which A and A designate two metallic strips, which are placed upon the floor parallel with each other and at a suitable distance apart, and B B designate a suitable number of similar strips arranged upon the floor parallel with each other, and extending from the strip A to the strip A, as shown in Fig. 1. Two or more strips C O are arranged above the strips B B at right angles to the latter, and one end of each of the strips 0 is secured to a strip D, which is arranged near the wall at right angles to the said strips 0. The free ends of the strips 0 have V-shaped notches 0 out therein, which are placed upon the shank of a stud c, projecting a short distance from the floor, the head 0 of the said stud holding the free ends of the strips in position.

The strip D, to which the opposite ends of the strips 0 are attached, is held in position by two or more studs E, similar to the studs 0, the said strip D being provided with V- shaped notches (Z to fit thereon. d in the strip D are made very wide, as shown in Fig. 1, for a purpose to be described hereinafter.

The strips 0, where they pass over the strips B, are curved upwardly, as at O, to keep them normally out of contact with the strips 15.

The strip D extends along the floor near the wall to a point somewhat out of the way, where it is bent upwardly at right angles to form a lug D.

An L-shaped bracket F is secured upon the floor in such position as to face the lug D, and a rod G is secured to the said lug D and extends through a slot f in the vertical arm of the bracket F. The rod G is screw-threaded, and a thumb-nut g is placed upon the end thereof beyond the bracket F. Thus it will be seen that by turning the thumb-nut g the rod G and strip D may be drawn toward the bracket F, the inclined edges of the wide V- shaped notches (1 will ride upon the studs E and cause the strip D to approach the studs 0, as shown in dotted lines in Fig. 1, and so cause the strips C to curve upwardly to a greater height above the strips B.

The conducting-wires II I are secured one to one of the strips A, as at h, and the other to the strip D, as at t the wire H extending to one pole of a battery J and the wire 1 extending to one of the binding-posts of an electric bell J or other signal, the other binding-post of which is connected by a wire K to the opposite pole of the battery J. Thus it will be understood that should the strips 0 be pressed into contact with the strips B the circuit will be closed at the point of contact and the electric current will flow from the battery J through the wire II and strips A and 13 to the strips 0 at the point of contact, thence through strips C and D and wire I to thejbell J to sound an alarm, and return to the battery through the wire K.

In operation my invention is placed upon the floor of a room directly beneath a window or in front of a door, with the bracket F and regulating device close to the wall, so as to be out of the way. The carpet, matting, or a rug is laid over the device to conceal the same, the spring of the strips 0 being strong enough to support the weight of the cover- The notches ing. The battery J and bell J may be placed in any suitable place and properly connected to the strips A and D and to each other.

The device is made sufficiently large so that should an intruder enter by the window or door he must step upon some portion thereof and so press one or more of the strips 0 into contact with the strips B, thus closing the circuit and causing the alarm to sound, as hereinbefore described.

An ordinary switch maybe used to open the circuit during the day to prevent the alarm from ringing when a person walks over the device.

Should the strips 0 become pressed down from being frequently trodden upon, the thumb-nut g may be turned to cause them to rise above the strips B, as hereinbefore described.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. In a burglar-alarm, the combination of a series of metallic strips secured upon the floor and electrically secured together, a second series of strips above the former at right angles thereto and out of contact therewith, a stop 0,

which holds one end of each of the strips of the second series in position, abar D, to which the opposite ends of the said strips are se cured, and means for moving the bar D to adjust the said strips, substantially as described.

2. In a burglar-alarm, the combination of a series of metallic strips secured upon the floor and electrically secured together, a second series of strips above the former at right angles thereto and out of contact therewith, a stop 0, which holds one end of each of the strips of the second series in position, a barD, to which the opposite ends of the said strips are secured, inclined surfaces (1 upon the bar D, stops E, against which the said inclined surfaces impinge, and means for moving the said strip D to adjust the second series of strips, substantially as described.

In a burglar-alarm, a series of metallic strips B, secured upon the floor, a series of similar strips 0, arranged above and at right angles to the strips 13, a strip D, to which the strips 0 are secured, the said strip D and the free ends of the strips 0 being adjustably secured to the floor and the said strips C curved, so as to be normally out of contact with the strips B, a screw-threaded rod G, projecting from the end of the strip D, a bracket F, secured upon the floor, through which the rod G passes, and a thumb-nut g upon the rod G, by means of which the strips D and C may be regulated, in combination with the electric circuit connected with the strips B and D and adapted to be closed when the strips 0 are brought into contact with the strips B, substantially as described, and for the purpose set forth.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my ownI have hereto aiiixed my signature in presence of two witnesses.

HOMER '1. WILSON. Witnesses:

R. W. DAYTON, J. H. SIGGERS. 

